Lobster abstract

An improved lobster trap composed of a one-piece molded plastic
hollow trap body defining a main interior chamber, a door to close
and open and gain access for removing lobsters trapped in the chamber,
and a lobster trap opening provided with a guide path for entering
lobsters and which guide path terminates in the central zone of
the trap in spaced relation from the walls, top and bottom, so that
a lobster following the guide path would fall into the chamber,
attracted by bait. The body and the door are of openwork construction,
said body having a plurality of openings in spaced relation from
one another throughout the surface thereof.

Lobster claims

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a lobster trap comprising a hollow body of relatively
rigid molded one-piece plastic construction defining an interior
chamber and said body including a top, bottom, end and front and
rear walls having a plurality of holes therethrough spaced from
one another and providing an openwork molded one-piece plastic trap
construction, said end and front and rear walls being provided with
a peripheral rigidifying bead adjacent the bottom, said end, front
and rear walls converging upwardly to the top from said peripheral
bead and extending downwardly to the bottom from said peripheral
bead, said wall having spaced raised and lower zones joined together
defining a rigidifying pattern in relief, and a lobster trap opening
in the walls and means defining converging surfaces for a lobster
guide terminating at a mouth in the trap chamber in spaced relation
from the top, bottom and walls and through which a lobster is adapted
to fall into the trap chamber and said trap having an access opening
in the top, said trap including a door and keeper means normally
maintaining said door in closing relation of the access opening,
said body and said door including mutually interengageable keeper
means portions for interconnecting the door and the trap;

said access door comprising a plurality of interconnected members
defining an openwork door sized for spanning said access opening
and said mutually interengaging means comprises a downwardly extending
skirt on the top of said trap and a plurality of holes aligned with
one another on opposite sides of said skirt, said holes being sized
to receive projections on said door for sliding movement of the
door into and out of a position from which the door may be removed
from closing relation of the opening for normal closing relation
of the opening.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein two spaced and similar
access openings and a door means for each access opening are provided.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the central zone
of said floor is provided with an inwardly extending recess defining
footed corner zones adapted to receive weights.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the side walls are
provided with a cutout and a net is included, said net extending
inwardly and upwardly to a open mouth and tie means are provided
to maintain the net in a taut condition.

5. The device as set forth in claim 4 wherein an interior net is
provided of generally truncated cone-shape suspended in the interior
chamber of the trap separating it into a primary and secondary zone,
said interior net extending between the top and the bottom and spanning
the chamber and extending from a larger opening mouth in the primary
zone in converging relation to an interior small mouth in the secondary
trap zone and said small mouth being in spaced relation from the
top, bottom and walls of the trap.

6. In combination, a lobster trap comprising a hollow body of relatively
rigid molded one-piece plastic construction defining an interior
chamber and said body including a top, bottom, end and front and
rear walls having a plurality of holes therethrough spaced from
one another and providing an openwork molded one-piece plastic trap
construction, said end and front and rear walls being provided with
a peripheral rigidifying bead adjacent the bottom, said end, front
and rear walls converging upwardly to the top from said peripheral
bead and extending downwardly to the bottom from said peripheral
bead, said wall having spaced raised and lower zones joined together
defining a rigidifying pattern in relief, and a lobster trap opening
in the walls and means defining converging surfaces for a lobster
guide terminating at a mouth in the trap chamber in spaced relation
from the top, bottom and walls and through which a lobster is adapted
to fall into the trap chamber and said trap having an access opening
in the top, said trap including a door and keeper means normally
maintaining said door in closing relation of the access opening,
said body and said door including mutually interengageable keeper
means portions for interconnecting the door and the trap;

said trap opening comprising a plurality of four downwardly and
converging skirt surfaces extending from the top to a terminal end
and a flap-type plastic slitted door hingedly connected to the terminal
end, said flap being inclined and being composed of strips of plastic
material connected together along one edge of the skirt;

said access door comprising a plurality of interconnected members
defining an openwork door sized for spanning said access opening
and said mutually interengaging means comprises a downwardly extending
skirt on the top of said trap and a plurality of holes aligned with
one another on opposite sides of said skirt, said holes being sized
to receive projections on said door for sliding movement of the
door into and out of a position from which the door may be removed
from closing relation of the opening for normal closing relation
of the opening.

Lobster description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This relates to lobster traps.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the past, as is perhaps well known, many many lobster traps
are utilized. Often these lobster traps are made of wooden materials
composed of spaced members defining an open work construction which
are somehow secured together, as by fasteners. Conventionally, such
traps include an opening with an interiorly extending net defining
a guide through which lobsters creep to be captivated within the
interior of the open work construction for removal subsequently
through an access door.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

This invention has an object the provision of a trap which is composed
of a body of one-piece molded plastic construction which is rigidified
by reason of structure configurations as described more fully hereinafter
and which is provided with an interior trap having a fall-through
opening for a lobster creeping along the guide way which terminates
at a location spaced from the walls, top and bottom, so that a lobster
falling from it will be trapped within the main chamber of the lobster
trap and wherein an access door with a keeper is provided for removing
lobsters trapped by the device.

It is another object of this invention to provide a lobster trap
of the type described hereinafter which is simple in construction,
inexpensive to manufacture, well adapted for the purposes for which
it is intended, is composed of a body of rigid molded plastic material,
preferably polyethylene which may or may not have carbon black in
it as a pigment which seems to attract lobsters, and generally,
is of such a construction and material so that barnacles do not
adhere to it, sea turtles cannot smash it, like often happens with
wooden lobster traps, because the polyethylene is relatively rigid
and somewhat bendable so as to yield to impact and which is long-lasting
and which may be readily seen beneath water by reason of the black
color in the embodiment in which the same is used and which is generally
in accordance with the purposes which will become apparent hereinafter.

In accordance with these and other objects which have become apparent
hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference
to the accompanying drawings in which:

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Drawings Illustrating First Preferred Embodiment

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the lobster trap of the instant
invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the trap shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on the plane indicated by the line 3--3
of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a view taken on the plane indicated by the line 4--4
of FIG. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Drawings Illustrating Second Preferred Embodiment

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of a lobster trap constructed in
accordance with this invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a trap constructed in accordance with
this embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a view in cross section taken on the plane indicated
by the line 7--7 of FIG. 6 and looking in the direction of the arrows;
and

FIG. 8 is a view in cross section taken on the plane indicated
by the line 8--8 of FIG. 7 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Drawings Illustrating Third Preferred Embodiment

The third preferred embodiment is shown in FIGS. 9 10 11 and
12.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the third preferred embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a top plan view of the third embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a view in cross section taken on the plane indicated
by the line 11--11 of FIG. 10 and looking in the direction of the
arrows; and

FIG. 12 is a view in cross section taken on the plane indicated
by the line 12--12 of FIG. 11 and looking in the direction of the
arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF FIRST PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 4 wherien like reference characters
designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views
and referring to FIG. 1 a lobster trap, generally designated by
the numeral 12 is illustrated. It comprises a hollow body of relatively
rigid molded one-piece plastic construction. It encloses a chamber,
the body defining a top 16 a bottom 18 ends 20 and 22 and front
and rear walls 24 and 26 which are joined together. Each of the
walls has a plurality of holes 28 spaced from one another some of
which are shown but it is understood that the same are throughout
the body so that an openwork molded one-piece plastic construction
is defined. The ends and front and rear walls are provided with
a peripheral bead, see FIG. 3 as at 29 and 31 which bead is adjacent
and somewhat above the level of the bottom, and preferably about
one-fourth of the overall height in the illustrated embodiment.
In the embodiment, the walls taper convergingly upwardly and downwardly
from this bead to the top and bottom respectively. As best seen
in FIGS. 1 and 3 the upper tapered wall portions and the top are
generally corrugated defining a wall and top rigidifying pattern
in relief. This pattern in relief is composed of debossed or depressed
inwardly spaced zones which extend generally vertically in the case
of the walls and laterally in the case of the top and are contiguous
or joined. In the case of the side walls, such as 33 these inner
strip zones are connected to the outer main wall surface by outwardly
converging zones, such as 35 on opposite sides of the main outer
surface strip zones such as the one on which the numeral 31 is located;
and, as in the case of the top, the outer zone is designated by
the numeral 83 while the inner depressed strip zone is designated
by the numeral 81 and the inner and outer zones are joined to one
another as by the connector strip 85. Similarly, the bottom and
the lower zone of the side walls are provided with a rigidifying
pattern in relief in the central zone between the end walls 20 and
22 and side walls 24 and 26 the depressed or inner zones being
designated by the numeral 39 see FIG. 1 and the outer zones being
designated by the numeral 37.

Referring now to FIG. 3 in the top, a central trap opening is
defined, and it is bounded by a skirt composed of downwardly converging
inner partial walls 30 and 32 and 34 and 36. These partial walls
lead to a flap 40 which from the top appears as a slitted floor,
see FIG. 4 which is, preferably, inclined as shown. The floor is
a hinge flap which is bendable in response to a downward force such
as the weight of a lobster and it is composed of parallel strips
40 by providing slits in the panel 40 as best seen in FIG. 2
which extend to the hinge axis of the flap at 38.

The top is also provided with two openings 42' and 44; these access
openings are for removing lobsters from the trap. The access openings
are outboard of the central opening and each is provided with a
short depending skirt extending into the body, each skirt has an
open end and in each skirt there is a pair of aligned holes 71 and
71', see at the upper left of FIG. 3. Each of these access openings
is provided with a door such as 50 and 52 each of which is sized
to fit in closing relation of one of the openings and is now to
be described.

Referring to FIG. 2 the left side door 50 includes a pair of spaced
members 51 and 52 each of a length greater than the span of the
opening 50 such as 70 and 72. These members 51 and 52 are normally
slidably captivated beneath the trap body top in the skirt holes
such as the end 70 in the hole 71 of the partial wall skirt beneath
the top as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 2. The spaced door
members are connected together by spanning members, such as that
on which the numeral 50 appears on the left of FIG. 2 and secured
together as by the fasteners 53 in effect defining as openwork
door. A pivotable keeper 66 in the case of the left-hand door in
FIG. 2 and 68 in the case of the right-hand door in FIG. 2 are
provided. The keeper is pivotally connected to the door on a pivot
pin, such as that designated by the numeral 67 for rotation in
the direction of the arrowed lines. The door is loosely hingedly
connected to the body as by the tie of rope or strand 60. For access,
the doors may be moved toward one another, with the member 70 slidably
moving within the opening such as 71 see at the upper left of FIG.
3 and the latch 66 is pivoted out of the way, in the case of the
door 50 for gaining access to the interior of the trap for removing
lobsters therefrom.

With respect to the bottom, the central zone 73 is raised somewhat,
see FIGS. 3 and 4 so as to define outer corner feet, such as that
designated by the numeral 18 in FIGS. 1 and 3 and, as shown in
FIG. 2. In these corner peripheral zones, such as 21 and 23 or
feet weights if desired may be positioned to keep the trap on the
bottom.

In use, the trap is positioned in water with the doors closed.
A lobster attracted by bait within the openwork construction of
the plastic strap, will enter the mouth, see FIG. 4 and since the
skirt walls converge downwardly soon be on the inclined flap-type
floor of strip construction 40 continually urged, by the incline
thereof, see FIG. 4 to the relatively weak end zone for hinged
movement with the strips about the hinge 38 where the strips are
connected to the wall 30.

The lobsters thus trapped may be removed by manipulating the doors
in the manner described above.

DESCRIPTION OF SECOND PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

This embodiment, see FIGS. 5-8 of the lobster trap 101 is composed
of a top generally designated by the numeral 103 bottom 105 end
walls such as 107 and 109 and front and rear walls 111 and 113
which are rigidified by the deformed or generally corrugated one-piece
molded relatively rigid plastic construction defined in connection
with the embodiment of FIG. 1. The peripheral bead 112 is provided
also, as described with reference to the first preferred embodiment.
The top is provided with a cutout 115 with a depending skirt 122
having slots, see 124 in FIG. 8. The cutout portion from the top
is utilized as the door 116; and it is foreshortened somewhat yet
sized to be maintained in use in generally closing relation of the
cutout 115 by members, such as that designated by the numeral 118
and 118', having and end 123 see FIG. 8 receivable slidably within
the slot in the skirt 122 for adjustable movement to clear it when
the latch 120 is pivotally rotated, see FIGS. 6 and 8. It is thus
seen that this type door may be completely moved by manipulating
it after the keeper or latch 120 has been pivoted out of the way.

Referring now to FIG. 8 generally cone-shaped nets 130 and 132
which are generally inwardly converging, are provided; and one of
each is secured peripherally as at 125 and 126 about an opening
in the front and rear walls. It will be seen that the mouth 134
of each net is generally upwardly facing. Hence, a lobster attracted
by bait within the trap will enter through the opening to the boundry
zone of which the net is tied bounded as at 125 and 126 creeping
up one of the nets 130 or 132 and falling into the trap over the
brink edge at the mouth 134 or see FIG. 5 133. The nets are secured
together by a tie line 135 so as to be taught. A lobster creeping
through one of the nets will fall into the main chamber or interior
of the lobster trap. Irrespective of which manner in which the lobster
enters the trap, he will again be attracted by bait along an interior
net 140 see FIG. 7 which spans the left-hand side of the trap,
see FIGS. 5 and 7 and traveling upwardly across the cone-shaped
net 140 and through the mouth 142 which is held in an open position
by the tie lines 144 and 146 becoming trapped in the left-hand
side interior of the trap. It is thus seen that a dual trapping
mechanism of simple construction is provided for lobsters by this
construction.

DESCRIPTION OF THIRD PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In this embodiment, see FIGS. 9-12 the trap body 202 is of generally
similar construction to that described on reference to the first
and second embodiments and is provided with an opening in the top
closed by a hingedly connected door 204 the door being connected
to the body by means of hinge straps, such as 206 of flexible material
which are secured at their ends, as at 207 and 208 to one edge
of the door for swinging opening movement of it. A keeper 210 is
provided and includes the tie strap 212 for tying the door in a
closed position or releasing it for hingedly opening it. The keeper
210 being secured to the top, as seen in FIG. 11 and a flap may
be provided on the swing edge of the door, see 213. Within the trap
of this embodiment, which is somewhat dome-shaped as shown in FIG.
12 but still of the same rigidified construction described above,
nets 248 and 250 extend inwardly as shown in FIG. 12 from front
and rear openings, such as that designated by the numeral 260 in
FIG. 11 to an upwardly opening mouth, such as 256 and 258 with
the nets being secured together by tie means 262 so as to keep them
taut. A lobster entering the trap attracted by bait, will find himself
within the body. Once again such a lobster will further be attracted
by the bait to travel thereafter through the secondary interior
net 280 and out the mouth 282 into the interior dual trapped zone
at the left-hand side of FIG. 11.

It is thus seen that there is shown three preferred embodiments
of a one-piece molded rigidified trap construction made of relatively
light-weight corrosion resistant rigid plastic construction for
a lobster trap which is provided in each embodiment with a door
for gaining access for removing lobsters trapped within it and which
includes cutout zones spanned by a net-type or trap-type member
through which a lobster is able to pass into the interior of the
trap to be captivated and, in the case of the second and third embodiments,
into a second trapped zone presenting in either case a tortuous
path to escape which cannot be surmounted and further that the trap
includes access doors for removing the lobsters thus trapped.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein
in what is conceived to be most practical and preferred embodiments,
it is recognized tht departures may be made therefrom within the
scope of the invention, which is therefore not to be limited to
the details disclosed herein but is to be accorded the full scope
of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent apparaus and
articles.